I am not advocating we wait until after the bye to start Griff but over the off season it occasionally surfaced as a possible timetable. Anyway, I was thinking about the possibility and, if it actually happened, what the outcomes could be. Here are a few I came up with.

Imagine Cousins going 3-1 with a win vs. the Eags, a tough loss at Green Bay, a win vs. the Lions, and a win at Oakland. Further imagine a 4 game stat line of 1,000 yards, 68.8% completion rate (his stat last year, #2 in NFL), 8 TDs, 2 picks, and a 101.6 QB rating (his stat last year, #5 in NFL behind Griff).

Now imagine the Dallas game during bye week. It's Griff's 1st start and we are going to Dallas. Instead of them laying in wait to avenge Turkey Day, we are breathing fire in anticipation of Griff's debut. Then Griff lights 'em up in "Griff's House" just like last year.

1 Mike would certainly have bolstered his position as Top Dog.

2 Mike would have showcased Cousins giving the league 4 more chances to see him and essentially cementing his status as a guy well worth trading for.

3 Mike's status as a genius goes through the roof. He has gotten the whole city and the team extra rabid for this game and the Griffskins have slain them. Cousins is even more valuable and pretty darn happy. We are pumped and off to the races.

4 Oh, here's a good one - Mike would have given Griff 5 extra weeks to "heal."

I'm not exactly opposed to it. Just don't know if I can handle another 4 weeks of "Griffin Status" in the news.

However, it would give Griffin more time to heal, a "timeout" to rethink his running strategy, and increase Cousins' trade value in 2015 (unless...I hate to even say it, Griffin is out again).

I don't want to hold him back TOO much, but then again, I think we will have a great season, but personally, I think this isn't "our year". Would loved to be proved wrong...will eat crow for months with a smile on my face I just see us making some wise free agent decisions next year and another smart draft that will put us at the top in 2014.

In one sense, that's 4 less games for Robert to have a setback; in another sense, that's 4 less games for Robert to get back into the swing of things.

Even though that seems like a real logical way to go, the pressure to play RGIII will be too high. 16 games is a long haul, and a fresh RGIII is Dallas would be great. He has to get hit sooner or later, the sooner the better for him. Either way, Cousins market value is up.

HTTRRG3ALMO wrote:I'm not exactly opposed to it. Just don't know if I can handle another 4 weeks of "Griffin Status" in the news.

However, it would give Griffin more time to heal, a "timeout" to rethink his running strategy, and increase Cousins' trade value in 2015 (unless...I hate to even say it, Griffin is out again).

I don't want to hold him back TOO much, but then again, I think we will have a great season, but personally, I think this isn't "our year". Would loved to be proved wrong...will eat crow for months with a smile on my face I just see us making some wise free agent decisions next year and another smart draft that will put us at the top in 2014.

In one sense, that's 4 less games for Robert to have a setback; in another sense, that's 4 less games for Robert to get back into the swing of things.

According to [Philadelphia radio host Howard] Eskin, [Dr. James] Andrews recommends that RG3 not play in Week 1 against the Eagles and instead wait until after the Redskins' bye in Week 5 to take the field

I know he got a pretty good zip on the ball. He has a quick release. . . once I seen a coupla' throws, I was just like 'Yeah, he's that dude.'"

I would have no issue with that plan BUT I think it would be extremely difficult to pull off..

even if it is true that Dr. Andrews is suggesting to wait until after the bye week to play RG3 it will be incredibly difficult to make this happen if there is no " setback " which NO ONE wants to see happen.

Griffin is already pressing the issue and creating stories of a "rift" between player and coach over the plan they have laid out for him to return. He has also said multiple times that he fully intends to play week 1.

that is why IMHO if he continues to progress from his injury with no sign of a setback it will be near impossible to keep him off the field whether the team feels he is 100% or not. Griffin will constantly be in the news trumpeting his desire to play and stating he is ready and I feel that a true rift might form between him and the organization if this is stretched out into the season.

I totally disagree with this nonsense that RGIII's knee is "completely healed". 1) He's wearing a knee brace for a reason. 2) If you have knee surgery in January, there is no question that your knee will be more healed in October than it is in September.

Even so, if the Docs say he is healed enough to safely play, then I expect him to start against the Eagles.

Also, there is another possible outcome to starting Cousins for the first four games. He goes 1-3 or 0-4, messes up his trade value and we start in a hole for the 2013 season.